Method of purifying raw wool.



onnron.

GEORGE HILLARD BENJAMIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

METHOD OF PURIFYIN G RAW WOOI No Drawing.

To all whom-it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE HILLARD BEN- JAMIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county and State of 5 New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Purifying Raw Wool,-of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a process of treating raw wool for the purpose of obtaining clean wool, wool grease and suint.

Theobject of my invention is to treat raw wool to obtain the products above specified without using water in thetreating operations. The use of water in the cleaning operation is adisadvantage, for the following reasons: I

A) Lanuginic acid, a constituent of Wool, is soluble in warm water. It is desirable that such acid should not be removed from the wool, as it is of value in effecting reactions with mordants and dye studs.

(13') Suint, consisting largely of potash salts and organic acids, is soluble in water. It is desirable to obtain this body ina dried.

form. Where water .is used the water must be evaporated, thereby involving the cost of evaporating apparatus, fuel, etc.

(C) In washing operations, where water isemployed,alkalis are likewise used, which tend to saponify the oils' and also act destructively upon. the fiber of the wool, making it harsh and dry.

(D) Where water is employed, the water is often disassociated, the oxygen-derived therefrom uniting with the greases to produce fatty acids which act destructively upon the fiber of the wool, and also decrease the percentage of commercially available 40 greases which may be obtained.

There are still other reasons why the use of water is objectionable, but those above stated are the main reasons prohibiting its use.

It has heretofore been suggested to extract the fatty matters from wool by the action of warm hydr ocarbon fluids, such as naphtha, gasolene, etc.' This .step has been found objectionable, owing, among other 59 reasons, to the very serious fire risk involved.

My improved process contemplates:

First: Softening the grease by the employmcnt of a light and heated o l.

Second; Removal of the grease and oil by the solvent action of a volatile non-combustible compound consisting of a hydro- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 4:, 1917.

Application filed May 4, 1916. Serial No. 95,350.

carbon and chlorinated carbon, such for instance as a mixture of benzol and a carbon tetra-chlorid. Thlrd: Removal of dust scales, suint, etc.,

by the action of warm moving air currents greater solvent effect upon wool grease than other vegetable oils. I may, however, use a mineral Oll, such for instance as a very light Russian paraffin oil, but the effect of this oil is not as good, owing to the paraflin which it carries. I prefer that the oil shall be bleached.

After the wool is thoroughly saturated with the oil which occurs in anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour), the oil and such of the wool'fat as has been softened or dissolved by it, is drawn off as far as may be. This may be accomplished by allowing the wool to stand, exerting pressure upon' the wool, or by the action of a centrifugal machine; after which the wool is immersed in a mixture of a fluid hydrocarbon and a fluid chlorinated carbon, preferably benzol (1,11,) and carbon tetra-chlorid (GU1 in approximately the following proportions: Benzol 90% and carbon tetra-chlorid 10%. Other fi uid hydrocarbons and other combinations of carbon with a halogen, may be employed. I prefer, however, to use those described. as l' find that the benzol has greater solvent properties than any of the fluid hydrocarbons, and the carbon tetra-chlorid has greater solvent properties, is more fluid'than other combinations of carbonwith a halogen, and possesses the property of rendering the mixture non-combustible. 'The respective amounts of the two substances, 1'. 6., the hydrocarbon and chlorinated carbon, may be varied in accordancewith the'character of the wool. The cleaner the wool, the smaller the percentage of carbon tetra-chlorid required. The effect of the mixture is to dissolve the wool. greases. The time required to dissolve the greases will vary from fifteen minutes to an hour, depending upon the physical characteristics of the wool mass, '1'. 0.. whether it is open or connected, whether it isfnll .of grease and dirt. or fairly clean. Afte the are finally dissolved, the

remainin portion of the solution, 2'. e., the

hydrocarbon fluid with the dissolved grease,

remaining part of the mixture, but not suliiciently high to injuriously affect the wool.

The treated wool is then withdrawn from the receptacle and introduced into a suitable drying apparatus, for instance, such as described in U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,172,575, granted to William A. Wood on Feb. 22, 1916, and therein subjected to the action of .idehydrated air currents introduced under pressure, and having a temperature of approximately 90 F. The action of the flowing warm air currents is first to dry the dust scales, sweat bulbs and other foreign substances, and then to pick up these bodies and carry them out of the apparatus. The time required to remove these bodies will depend somewhat upon the condition of the wool, air pressure -and whether or not the wool is agitated while in the apparatus. Generally,

from one to two hours is sufficient to remove these bodies. The condition of the wool can be determined by examinin the air currents leaving the apparatus. en the air currents show that they are not carrying any of the bodies mentioned, the cleaning is practically accomplished. I

I prefer that the air currents shall have a temperature of approximately 90 F. The temperature. however, may be increased up to 130 F. I prefer that the humidity of the introduced air should not exceed 25%, although it may be raised, with certain grades of wool, to 75%. I find it advisable to increase the humidity when the sweat bulbs are not fully separated by thetreatment heretofore described. The action of the water carried by the air is to soften the sweat bulbs and cause them to separate from the wool fibers. I i After the wool has been subjected to the treatmcnt above described, warm dehydrated air, i. c., at 95 F. is again introduced and transmitted throu h the wool until examinationof the wool s ows'that it is thoroughly clean. The extracted greases can be treated along well known lines for obtaining pure greases,

' and the powdered suint separated from the wool and collected from the outgoing air, can likewise be treated 'for obtaining potash, nitrogenous and other bodies which it carries. The fiuid hydrocarbon and the fluid chlorinated carbon as evaporated from the wool, may be condensed and purified in any suitable apparatus to be again used.

The first step described, that is, treating with a light oil, while of distinct advantage, not only acting as a solvent for the wool greases but serving to put the wool in a better condition for the subsequent action of the hydrocarbon and carbon halogen mixture, may be omitted, in which case the wool after heating to approximately 90 F. is .at once treated with the hydrocarbon and carbon halogen mixture, the succeeding steps of the process being as above described.

Having thus described my'invention, I

claim: p

1. The method of purifying raw wool, which consists in first, removing the wool grease by the successive solvent action of a heated oil and ofa mixture of benzol and carbon-tetrachlorid,and second, the remain ing matters by the action of transmitted air currents.

2. The method. of purifying raw. wool,

' which consists in first, removing the wool grease by the successive solvent action of a heated. oil and of a mixture of bent/.01- and carbon tetrachlorid, and second, the remaining matters by the action of transmitted and heated .air currents. 3; The method of purifying raw wool whichconsists in first, removing the wool ing matters by the action of transmitted air currents having a range of temperature be tween 90 and 130 F. and a moisture content of between 25% and In testimony whereof, I aflix my signaturc, in the resence of two witnesses. GEOR E HILLARD BENJAMIN. Witnesses: HELEN .E. HOLTSCH,

HARRY TERHUNE. 

